On September 7, the 8th Shanghai Dialogue Session on Public Diplomacy, “COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Diplomacy” was held in the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai. It was co-hosted by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai and China Public Diplomacy Association, and organized by the Committee for Friendship with Foreign Countries of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai, Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association and Shanghai Radio and Television Station. Dong Yunhu, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai, delivered a speech at the dialogue. Hu Zhengyue, vice president of CPDA, and Zhou Hanmin, president of Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association delivered keynote speeches. Zhao Qizheng, former director of the State Council Information Office, attended the meeting. About 150 members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and representatives of the local public diplomacy association attended the meeting. Xing Bangzhi, deputy secretary general of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of Shanghai, presided over the meeting.

Hu Zhengyue said that the prospects of the COVID-19 seem to be clouded with uncertainties, and the world’s precarious situation will last for some time. In the face of the new situation, the demand and role of public diplomacy have increased significantly. It is necessary to actively keep up lately, strive to innovate forms, and actively forge ahead in order to serve the country’s overall diplomacy, and make more efforts to strive for a better international environment, and to show the world a positive, rational, open, inclusive and responsible image of a major country.

Dong Yunhu said that we must give full play to the role of public diplomacy, carry out multi-level and multi-channel communication and dialogue, carry forward China's anti-epidemic spirit and tell well the anti-epidemic stories of China. 

Zhou Hanmin said that in the process of fighting against the COVID-19, the Shanghai Public Diplomacy Association has carried out a series of public diplomacy work and achieved some results. In the future, it is necessary to work together with public diplomacy associations of the Yangtze River Delta Region to promote the high-quality development of the integration in the Yangtze River Delta. 

Zhao Qizheng expressed his feelings saying that the task of public diplomacy is to convey to the foreign public the culture, friendliness, policies, and social development of our country. In fact, it is synonymous with the word “foreign-oriented publicity”.

Yuan Ming, Dean of the Yenching Academy of Peking University, Teng Jianqun, Director of the American Division of the China Institute of International Studies, Huang Renwei, Associate Dean of the “Belt and Road” and Global Governance Institute of Fudan University, Wu Fan, Associate Dean of Shanghai Medicine School of Fudan University, and senior journalist Sassou/Sassau,etc. conducted dialogues and discussions revolving around the topic “COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Diplomacy”.